Media

Areeq has participated in a number of media discussions across television, radio, and podcasts on topics around digital democracy, votes at 16, and Brexit. He has been invited as a guest on outlets including the BBC, Sky News, RT, and LBC. Areeq has also written for the Huffington Post; Media Diversified; the London School of Economics; Left Foot Forward; the Fabian Review; and Sky News.

Areeq Chowdhury, who works for a think tank called WebRoots Democracy believes “pseudo-nimity”, like you find on Facebook business pages, could help on these platforms. Pseudo-nimity would mean anyone using social media providing proof of who they are, even if they go on to be anonymous on their profile. “What that might do is dis-incentivise people to behave in a way they just wouldn’t in real life,” he says.

Recently, WebRoots Democracy hosted a panel discussion, Vote.Scot, at the Scottish Parliament to explore the future of electronic voting (e-voting) in Scotland. The panel raised concerns, issues and the possible benefits of Scotland adopting e-voting. It attempted to establish key barriers and measures requiring attention before e-voting trials are rolled-out.

Even as a self-described ‘techno-optimist’ Chowdhury is wary about some of the problems being raised by technology’s rise in social and political life. Yet he questions to what extent they are new issues, as opposed to familiar problems in another setting.

Chief executive of the WebRoots Democracy think tank, Areeq Chowdhury has proposed the introduction of voting through a secured website. He said: “Online voting would be more convenient for the majority of the population, particularly citizens abroad and those serving in the Armed Forces.”

Areeq Chowdhury, the chief executive of the WebRoots Democracy think tank, has advocated the use of technology to drive inclusion when people go to the polls: “Many voters with motor disabilities, vision impairments, and cognitive disabilities will struggle to cast a ballot without the aid of another. Some may not be as fortunate to have a significant other, or a carer to help them do so.”

Chief Executive at WebRoots Democracy, Areeq Chowdhury told DIGIT: “We are pleased that the Scottish Government has decided to explore this reform. Online voting will, in future, form an inevitable part of our democracy and it is right that we begin to understand how best this should work at the earliest opportunity.”

The signatories, led by the think tank WebRoots Democracy, suggest online voting would make elections “more efficient, more accessible and more engaging”. Signatories to the letter include leading academics in cyber security and political science and the heads of charities including Disability Equality Scotland and the Army Families Federation.

The chief executive of youth-led think-tank WebRoots Democracy, Areeq Chowdhury, told Sky News he was “delighted” at the announcement. He added: “Online voting has huge potential to engage a new generation of young voters in Wales, as well as enable voters with vision impairments and disabilities to independently cast ballots. Now that both the Welsh and Scottish Governments have committed to pilots, it is time for the UK Government to follow suit.”

Liquid democracy is an interesting idea, and the idea of giving everyone the power to vote on everything in the palm of their hands is a powerful one. In theory, it could lead to a system where everyone’s views are meaningfully listened to and acted upon, with the will of the majority truly represented.

John Sweeney went to Canvey Island to ask the views of residents, while Emily Maitlis discusses the report findings with Sophie Gaston, acting director of think tank Demos, along with Danny Lockwood, publisher of West Yorkshire’s The Press newspaper and Areeq Chowdhury, chief executive of WebRoots Democracy, a digital democracy organisation.

WebRoots Democracy chief executive Areeq Chowdhury said: “So we should address the issue which is that people have taken that flag and turned it into meaning something that to some people seems racist and that is the real issue.

BBC News piece on the pros and cons of online voting following the publication of the WebRoots Democracy ‘Cost of Voting’ report which found that voting online would be the most preferred method for young people.

In an era where coins have been replaced by cash, cash has been replaced with cards, and cards have been replaced by contactless smartphone payments, shouldn’t we be aiming to be a little more innovative? Clinging to the status quo will only maintain a failing system and ensure we relinquish our title as the pioneers of modern democracy.

A think tank has suggested that online voting in elections should be trialled for British military staff based overseas. A report by the youth-led WebRoots Democracy says members of the armed forces face difficulties registering to vote and an unreliable postal system when attempting cast their ballot.

Areeq Chowdhury, chief executive of WebRoots Democracy, said: “The barriers to democratic engagement for our military personnel posted overseas should be dismantled, and technology has a role to play in doing so.”

Across the desk, Areeq Chowdhury, 24, is working single-handedly on WebRoots Democracy, which started as a campaign for online voting but has evolved into a thinktank “covering the use of personal data, fake news, e-petitions, voter advice applications”.

Areeq Chowdhury from WebRoots Democracy coins a new phrase for the digital era’s political activism: clicktivism. He said: “We can now easily find out information on what is happening in the political world from a multitude of sources, and we can share that information with hundreds of friends or thousands of followers with the click of a button.”

Undoubtedly, millions again will not vote on June the 8th. Maybe it will be 10, 15, or even 20 million this time. How far must turnout fall before we decide to take action? There needs to be a political awakening and a democratic drive by the next Government to undo this decline.

The Institute of Digital Democracy, more commonly known as WebRoots Democracy, is a volunteer-led think tank focused on the intersection of technology and democratic participation. In short, the organisation feels it is high time that the democratic process is available through digital platforms and, crucially, that voters should be able to cast their vote online during elections.

Areeq Chowdhury, chief executive of WebRoots Democracy, which campaigns for electronic voting, said: “There is no evidence to show that online voting is more susceptible to fraud than the paper alternative.”

Areeq Chowdhury, head of the WebRoots Democracy campaign for electronic balloting, told the BBC that there is “no evidence to show that online voting is more susceptible to fraud than the paper alternative.

“There have been more instances of fraud across the world with paper votes than electronic ones, and the recent recounts of electronic votes in the US showed no evidence of hacking,” he added.

Areeq Chowdhury, chief executive of WebRoots Democracy, said voter engagement would “only falter and decline” without online voting and dismissed Sir John’s claim. “There is no evidence to show that online voting is more susceptible to fraud than the paper alternative,” he said.

Areeq Chowdhury, chief executive of WebRoots Democracy, which campaigns for electronic voting, said: “There is no evidence to show that online voting is more susceptible to fraud than the paper alternative.”

With all of the new challenges online voting presents, it would equally open up a whole realm of opportunity. Opportunity to resign issues like ‘accidentally spoilt ballots’ to the dustbin, and opportunity to enable a more accessible method of voting for Londoners with disabilities and vision-impairments, as well as the city’s youth and long-hour workers.

Digital democracy, the next frontier in modern democratic reform, is a concept that isn’t given the prominence it deserves in British political discourse; but it is a concept that is fundamental to bridging the widening democratic divide between the young and the old.

The Daily Politics discuss online voting for the UK with Liz Kendall MP (Labour), Areeq Chowdhury (WebRoots Democracy), and Jason Kitcat (Open Rights Group) on the anniversary of the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy and following the publication of the Secure Voting report.

The Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy recently proposed introducing online voting in time for the 2020 General Election, an aspiration which looks well intentioned if ambitious. Here, the Chief Executive of WebRoots Democracy, Areeq Chowdhury, argues in favour of allowing voting via the internet on the grounds that the security risks are overstated and that it would increase engagement amongst young people.

In a country where 38million of us are socialising online, 36million of us are shopping online, 26million of us are banking online, and 4.5million of us are dating online; it is perhaps unsurprising that 65% of the public are in support of being able to cast their vote online. But what would be the benefits of such a move?

Whilst over two million Scots will be feeling relieved and more than one and half million nursing feelings of disappointment, there will be over half a million Scottish people confessing to having not voted in the independence referendum.

It is time for the UK to start researching and developing a system of online voting for local and general elections. If we are to be serious about tackling low voter turnouts, we need to modernise the method of selecting our political representatives.

We have a problem in the UK with engaging young people to vote. In the last three General Elections, the turnout for young people aged 18 to 24 has been less than half; the lowest of all age groups. This needs to be addressed and I have a solution. We need to modernise our democracy and introduce an online voting option for all UK elections.